Why Are There So Few White Players In The NBA?

Joe Musashi · 13-05-2010 10:50am #1

I'm that not that big into basketball but can't help but notice the lack of white players in the NBA. There are many teams which are made up of just black men. I don't know if there are any teams made up of just whites, but it seems highly unlikely.

Are whites being discriminated against? Surely there are a few more white players who would be capable of playing in the NBA?

There also seems to be the same kind of situation in the NFL.

nialo · 13-05-2010 11:08am

just natural talent really.. sure there are alot of successful white players but they dont have the same explosive abilities as black ppl.. on average that is, there is always the exception..

Take a look at the college leagues, most of the teams have a pretty even number of white black or whatever.. but the main stars to rise are black.. dont know why just seems to be the case.. its not a case of white guys arent been picked its more a case that black ppl are just outshinning them..

white men cant jump.. while not completely accurate there is some truth to it.

eagle eye · 13-05-2010 12:18pm

eagle eye · 13-05-2010 12:19pm

Joe Musashi wrote: »

I'm that not that big into basketball but can't help but notice the lack of white players in the NBA. There are many teams which are made up of just black men. I don't know if there are any teams made up of just whites, but it seems highly unlikely.

Are whites being discriminated against? Surely there are a few more white players who would be capable of playing in the NBA?

There also seems to be the same kind of situation in the NFL.

Apart from the fact that I know from the tone of your post that you are just acting the bollix, you are completely wrong about the NFL.

Watch that movie that I posted just above this post. That will tell you all you need to know!

Da GOAT · 13-05-2010 4:57pm

White americans love baseball and football more than Bball therefore bball loses those athletes. To play baseball and football require money as achild to play, balck people in usa tend to come from poorer backgrounds and bball is more more accessable money wise.

The whole stereotype isnt as common as people think, there are probably just as many equally athlete white people as there are black people.

All there is a hip hop theme to basketball in usa which will always associate itself to people from poorer backgrounds more then richer ones.

moneyman · 13-05-2010 9:35pm

Da GOAT wrote: »

White americans love baseball and football more than Bball therefore bball loses those athletes. To play baseball and football require money as achild to play, balck people in usa tend to come from poorer backgrounds and bball is more more accessable money wise.

The whole stereotype isnt as common as people think, there are probably just as many equally athlete white people as there are black people.

All there is a hip hop theme to basketball in usa which will always associate itself to people from poorer backgrounds more then richer ones.

Not trying to be a ****, but this isn't true. Black people, generally speaking, are significantly better athletes than whites.

I'm not even sure if your last point is strictly true, although it could be. When I was playing ball in the US all the rich people I met (majority were white) played basketball as their primary sport.

You do have a point about background and money. This is also a reason why black basketball players are usually better ballhandlers and passers than whites, even when you discount the athletic abilities. Alot of blacks grew up playing on the streets, where you had to be able to deal with handchecking, hard fouls and more physical defense. Of course, there are always exceptions to this, for example Jason Williams (who actually grew up in a similar way to what I just described for blacks), Steve Nash etc.

Simple answer is that black people are better athletes than white people. There is no discrimination - how could there be in the USA where the majority is white?

ascanbe · 14-05-2010 1:30am

Suggesting that there is discrimination against whites by the NBA is preposterous.
The unspoken truth is that the NBA, as a whole and each of its teams would give anything to have more white players and more white stars so as to broaden it's appeal in a majority white country that is still deeply divided along racial lines.
Indeed, top white college players are often drafted significantly higher than their subsequent production would merit.
Almost everyone plays basketball at young age in America; the best athletes and players tend to stick with it as the percieved rewards for success are so great.
That the cream of the crop, i.e, those who make the NBA, tend to be predominantly black, could be due to any number of factors.
The most obvious are a possible inherent difference in athletic ability and the fact that many of the black players are coming from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds and simply need it more; they have no other options.
It's like the modern version of the question of why black americans came to dominate boxing, the lucrative heavyweight division in particular, when boxing was percieved as the 'only way out'.

Carcharodon · 14-05-2010 7:16am

eagle eye wrote: »

Wasn't Woody supposed to be an extremely good basketball player,played some bit in college and was a lot better than Snipes.

Pointless comment but I think the irony is kind of funny.

Stab*City · 14-05-2010 4:02pm

Its kinda hard to make it playing ball in the US when all the black guys are dunking on your head.. If your white you better have a good jumpshot/defense.. But as for racism in the nba, na, dont matter if your white, black, blue or green if you have the skills you can play..

Rented Mule · 26-05-2010 8:42pm

Jimmy the Greek explained why and he was run out of the business for it. j/k

ForeverYoung90 · 10-06-2010 5:04pm

White men cant jump imho.Black people are naturally more athletic its scientifically proven!:cool:

megadodge · 09-07-2010 11:18am

ForeverYoung90 wrote: »

White men cant jump imho.Black people are naturally more athletic its scientifically proven!:cool:

Why have all the top high jumpers in history (except the Cuban Sotomayor who has tested positive for drugs) been white then?

alb · 09-07-2010 1:11pm

Joe Musashi wrote: »

There are many teams which are made up of just black men.

Off the top of my head I can't think of any NBA roster entirely made up of black people. I follow the TO Raptors and they currently have 5 white players on the roster. I agree there's more black people but there are still plenty of American white people, europeans, brazilians etc. plenty of diversity. There are probably more foreign (non-american) players than there has ever been in the league, and that's awesome for the game.

Also remember the league MVP two years running recently was a small white guy.

#15 · 10-07-2010 12:40am

megadodge wrote: »

Why have all the top high jumpers in history (except the Cuban Sotomayor who has tested positive for drugs) been white then?

Because black people didn't bother with the high jump?

megadodge · 12-07-2010 11:00am

#15 wrote: »

Because black people didn't bother with the high jump?

Oh I get it now, if black people don't feature well in a sport it's because they don't bother with it.

Ah well, that straightens that out and definitely proves that white men can't jump.

#15 · 12-07-2010 6:41pm

megadodge wrote: »

Oh I get it now, if black people don't feature well in a sport it's because they don't bother with it.

Ah well, that straightens that out and definitely proves that white men can't jump.

White people tend to have higher rates of body fat and have more slow-twitch muscle fibres - they are well-suited to sports like weightlifting and swimming.

Black people tend to have lower rates of body fat and have long, fast-twitch muscle fibres - they are usually well-suited to sports that require explosive actions.

Of course, there are exceptions to everything.

There is a ton of well-researched info out there if you are interested. But I suspect you're not interested.

megadodge · 14-07-2010 1:18pm

Well, I actually am interested, despite my smart-alecky tone. It's just that I don't really go along with the whole tarring an entire race with one brush train of thought.

If you're to take the whole blacks have fast-twitch thing to it's limits, why then are all the best distance runners black people from Ethiopia and Kenya. These countries are predominantly black yet produce no sprinters of note. What happened their fast-twitch muscle fibres?

Plus I fail to see how having slow-twitch muscle fibres would help in a 50m or 100m swimming event. Those events are about pure explosiveness.

There have been plenty of black high jumpers over the years also and I've seen them, but that's not the issue as my original post was questioning the assertion that "white men can't jump". They very obviously can.

moneyman · 16-07-2010 3:39am

megadodge wrote: »

If you're to take the whole blacks have fast-twitch thing to it's limits, why then are all the best distance runners black people from Ethiopia and Kenya. These countries are predominantly black yet produce no sprinters of note. What happened their fast-twitch muscle fibres?

West Africans and East Africans are genetically different. West Africans have fast-twitch muscles, while East Africans (ie Kenyans, Ethiopians etc.) have slow-twitch muscles. The latter has a higher proportion of slow-twitch muscles than whites, while also having longer legs and larger lung capacities, which is why they always win long distance running. West Africans have fast-twitch muscles and produce the explosive athletes. Black Americans generally descended from West Africa, not East, which is why they are suited to explosive activities rather than endurance.

Plus I fail to see how having slow-twitch muscle fibres would help in a 50m or 100m swimming event. Those events are about pure explosiveness.

I know less about this. Something got to do with center of gravity (whites have a longer torso than blacks), and skin composition of whites is apparently better suited to the water.

There have been plenty of black high jumpers over the years also and I've seen them, but that's not the issue as my original post was questioning the assertion that "white men can't jump". They very obviously can.

They can, but not as high as West Africans or descendants of them. Apart from exceptions to the rule.

UALacrosse · 20-07-2010 12:48pm

In the US, most basketball players from young age are black and are naturally usually better at it. Whites play other sports like lacrosse, soccer, and hockey.

megadodge · 23-07-2010 4:29pm

Your post is definitely better thought out than the previous ones I was referring to, as you stated...

West Africans and East Africans are genetically different

which differs greatly from...

Black people tend to have lower rates of body fat and have long, fast-twitch muscle fibres - they are usually well-suited to sports that require explosive actions.

I stated that I don't believe in tarring an entire race with one brush and you proved my point.

They can, but not as high as West Africans or descendants of them. Apart from exceptions to the rule.

This assumption is the whole point I was getting at - if whites can't jump as high as blacks how come all the great high-jumpers in history have been white? Sotomayor (complete with drug allegations) is the exception here not the other way around.

#15 · 23-07-2010 5:47pm

megadodge wrote: »

I stated that I don't believe in tarring an entire race with one brush and you proved my point.

Have a look over the thread again.

You should find the words 'tend' and 'exceptions'. You can take that as evidence of not tarring an entire race with one brush.

megadodge · 27-07-2010 10:40am

#15 wrote: »

Have a look over the thread again.

You should find the words 'tend' and 'exceptions'. You can take that as evidence of not tarring an entire race with one brush.

So the entirety of East Africa is an "exception" but West Africa the 'norm'???

The Big Fella · 27-07-2010 11:53pm

A three legged dog can jump:D dont start giving out about discrimination and ethnics.

#15 · 31-07-2010 9:21am

megadodge wrote: »

So the entirety of East Africa is an "exception" but West Africa the 'norm'???

Didn't realise black people could only be from east or west Africa. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

megadodge · 05-08-2010 10:50am

#15 wrote: »

Didn't realise black people could only be from east or west Africa. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I never said they were :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

However, you've implied that black people who aren't the explosive, fast-twitch type are "exceptions", thereby ignoring one side of a continent.

#15 · 06-08-2010 11:46am

megadodge wrote: »

I never said they were :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

However, you've implied that black people who aren't the explosive, fast-twitch type are "exceptions", thereby ignoring one side of a continent.

I made an over-simplified post, only because I thought you were on a wind-up - in your own words, you had a ''smart-alecky tone''. I didn't take you seriously when you sarcastically said that 'it proves white men definitely can't jump'.

I actually agree with you that it's a more complex discussion, and not just about assigning athletic traits based on genetics.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero · 11-08-2010 1:48pm

Bit of a random fact but I think it applies here. Black people have denser muscle mass than white people which also explains why they're not great at swimming - they sink!!:D

earth67mars48 · 18-06-2015 7:52am

Black people are 13% of the US population, and are very much over represented in professional sports. Why?
One reason is they are just physically better at athletics. But why is this? One theory is the following: Most Blacks were brought from Africa to the US during the slave trade in the 15th-17th century. The conditions under which they were brought here were extremely brutal, and hence only the strongest ones survived the voyage and harsh treatment. This resulted in a selection bias, favoring those who were physically stronger. Those who survived the brutal slave trade experience, passed on their genes to those who are their descendants today. Most NFL teams and NBA teams are greater than 50% black. What other explanation can their be?

GoldFour4 · 19-06-2015 10:03am

Jesus, I have no idea why this thread was allowed back in 2010 and I'm certainly not letting it be bumped up now.

Why Are There So Few White Players In The NBA?

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